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Spurs defender Van de Ven has revealed he "was completely surprised by" the club's decision to dismiss ex-boss Postecoglou.

The Australian's two-year tenure came to an end a mere 16 days after he guided the team to a win in the Europa League final, securing the club's first major trophy in nearly two decades.

However, this European success was not matched in the domestic league, with the team ending up in a disappointing 17th position in his last season at the helm.

He was replaced by former Brentford boss Frank during the summer, but Spurs are presently in 11th place, with 22 points, following a 3-0 loss to Forest at the weekend.

"He is a really good manager. I still really like him," Van de Ven stated on The Overlap podcast.

"I'm not sure how everything went backstage. It came as a shock. It was strange how everything went after - he is the coach that brought a trophy to Tottenham," he added.

"Later, when he got sacked, I sent a message to my dad and my friends and said, 'This was the last thing I thought would happen.'"

The Rise and Fall

Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham from Celtic before the 2023-24 season, replacing Conte. He made a bright start with his attacking style of play, amassing an impressive points haul from his first ten league matches.

However, that fine start was halted with four defeats in five matches, and the club's season tailed off, eventually failing to secure a top-four finish by a narrow two points.

In the next campaign, they won just 11 of their 38 league matches.

Tactical Concerns Revealed

Although he enjoyed Postecoglou's style, Netherlands international Van de Ven believes the squad lacked a "alternative strategy" and disclosed he and defensive partner Romero discussed taking a more cautious style with the manager.

"I liked the offensive play under Postecoglou but I appreciate what we have now with our current manager. We are more secure at the back. I dislike being vulnerable every game on the break," he explained.

"Initially under Postecoglou, no team was used to playing against our system. We were playing exceptional football."

"However, coaches analyse everything and people knew what we were doing. At times we lacked a backup plan and we were getting exposed. We lacked solutions to resolve it."

"At one point me and Romero approached the gaffer and said we should change some things and play more defensive to ensure we secure victory in those games. He was like, 'I understand with you but I expect you two guys to sort this on the pitch, ensure everybody knows.'"